The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1887-03-19
A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A BRIDGE BREAKS DOWN ON THE
BOSTON e Providence x. X.
Five Cars Loaded with Human Freight
go Down to Destruction -Thirty-tltree
Persons Killed and Twice
NInnN Injured.

One of the most appalling railroad
accidents that has ever been experienced
occurred on the Boston and Providence
railroad last Monday. The scene OF the
horror was between Rosendale and For
restvile and was caused by a defective
bridge giving way under a heavy loaded
passenger train Five cars fell through
the bridge instantly killing thirty-rhree
persons and horribly wounding many
others. The train was crowded with
working people principally. The engi-
neer, when his engine broke from the
train, kept right on to Forest Hill to
give the alarm instead of stopping TO
ascertain the extent Of the damage, and
on that account it was impossible to get
any assistance at once. Three cars went
over safely with the engine, but the five
Others fell to the road beneath "A distance
of thirty feet The last car, which was
a smoker turned completely over and
struck on top of the others.
LIST KILLED.
Following is a list of killed and those
who have died of their injuries:
Conductor Myron Tilden, Dedham,
Alice Burnett, Roslindale, aged 16 years,
w. M. Johnson, Roslindale, violinist;
Mrs Hormidias Cardinal, Roslindale;
Mr. Clapp Central station, West Rox-
bury, 81 years old; Miss Norris, West
Roxbury; Edward e. Norris, Dedham,
freight clerk of the Boston and provi-
dence railroad; Edgar NJ Snow, Spring
Street Station, West Roxbury; Waldo b.
Lailer, police officer, Spring Street Sta
ton; Lizzie Vaudeville, Dedham, Lizzie
Walton, Dedham; William s. Strong, in
nal injuries, died after removal to the
city hospitals William f. Durham, badly
crushed, died after removal to the city
hospital; Stephen r. Haughton, gas filter,
Corinth street RosIindale; Harry Gay, .
clerk, Spring street, died after removal
to the city hospital; Miss NJ. l.. O'Diorne,
Dover, N. H., employed by Salem, Will
der & Co., Summer street; Miss Ida
Adams, Katridge street; Miss Lizzie II.
Price, Dedham; Miss Sarah f. Ellis,
Medfeld, who was stopping with friends
at West Roxbury; an unknown woman,
about 30 years old Albert f. Johnson, DO
years Of age, employed by George II.
Morrill, & Co., jewellers; Peter s. Warren,
Central station, about Is years old, tailor;
Emma p Hill, 25 years of age, worked
for r. H. White 81 Co Hattie J. Dud-
ley, residence unknown; Miss Laura
Price. West Roxbury; Miss Rosa Bella
WEIGH, So years Of age, West Roxbury.
The remaining parties killed have not
been identified. OF these there are three
men and two women at the Morgue.
1t is impossible to obtain any absolutely
correct account of the number Of injured,
but it will reach one hundred or more.
OF these at least twenty-five are quite
badly hurt, and the remainder received
only slight bruises.
The bridge evidently gave way when
the fourth car was passing over it.. The
five rear cars went through to the road
way. landing in a mass Of splinters in the
street. The strain of the five falling cars
pulled the three cars in advance from the
rail. They remained on top Of the en-
bqukment, but were pulled off their
trucks and the floor Of each was forced
nearly to the roof, while seats were
iumblcd together in great confusion.
The end Of the second coach was "a mass
Of splinters, caused by a carload grinding
against it when the others went down the
embankment.
The third coach was hattened to the
ground as if it had fallen on its trucks
from a great height, although it remained
on the edge Of the embankment. The
roof Of the fourth car also remained on
the cmbankment, having evidently been
torn clear from its fastcnin9s while the
coach went through. The next four cars
went down in a heap, the smoker, which
was on the rear Of the train, falling in
the midst Of the coaches and being actu-
ally ground into splinters The inmates
of the smoker were all either killed or
injured, not one escaping without injury
of some kind Two of the coaches went
clear across The roadway, landing against
a stone wall that bounded a large field at
the foot Of the hill. AS tho cars lie in
their present location they present pic
ture Of such absolute demolition that it
seems remarkable that any person IN them
escaped alive
A curious feature of the disaster is
fonnd in the fact that the entire bridge
went down with the wreck, not leaving a
piece Of scrap iron attached to the abut-
ments, and but for the chasm and awful
wreck beneath there Is nothing to indi-
cate that bridge had once spanned the
abyss
Twenty seven of the dead bodies have
been identified.